Stopper rod



May 26, 1925.

S. S. BALL STOPPER ROD Filed June 20, 1925 /f/ /f l 9, 5H u f/// /H/ SNAINVENTOR vnaal ATTORNEY Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL S. BALL, .OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, IASSIGrNOR T0 BETHLEHEMSTEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION 07F PENNSYLVANIA.

, STOPPER ROD.

Application filed June 20, "1923. Seriall No. 646,534.

T0 all lwhom t may con-cern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. BALL, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at Jersey City, Hudson County, State of .New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Stopper' Rods, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to stopper rods of the character intended for usewith ladles employed in metallurgical operationsand it has for an objectto provide apparatus of this character which shall be durable and whichshall be capable of ready repair'.

More particularly, my invention has for an object to provide an innerrod having a flange for supporting refractory sheathing or cylinders,the stopper head being detachably connected to the rod at the side ofthe flange opposite to the refractory sheathing or cylinders.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel construction ofdrop-forged rod for .supporting the refractory material and the stopper'head in a stopper rod construction.

The novel features of construction will be understood from the followingdescription and claims taken with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing, the figure is a fragmentary sectional View of myimproved stopper rod.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention,I show a stopper rod consisting of an inner supporting rod member 10,sheathing or refractory cylinders 11, and a stopper head 12.

The rod member 1() comprises a shank portion 13 and a threaded tipportion 14 `separated by a circumferential flange 15 having end faces 16and 17 which are preferably substantially frusto-conical and which jointhe shank 13 and the threaded portion 14 by fillets.

The refractory material or sleeves sur round the shank portion 13 andthey are sustained by the face 16 constituting a shoulder on the flange15.

The stopper head 12 is provided with a central opening 18 having athreaded portion 19 fitting the threaded portion 14 of the rod and acountersunk portion 20 Which surrounds the flange 15 and provides ashoulder 21 which is formed to fit against the flange face 17.

` The spaces between the refractory material or cylinders 11 and theshank 13 and between the adjacent end Vfaces of the refractory material11 and thestopper member 12 are preferably filled with clay or any othersuitable material as indicated, at 22, so that `the entire constructionmay be essentially solid and the contact of molten metal or the readytransmission of heat therefrom to the inner supporting rod 10 -shall belimited. v

Since stopper heads areordinarily made of compositions consistinglargely of graphite, I prefer to have the threads on the tip portion 14and the threads19 in they recess 18 rounded in order to provide both forthe v ready formation of threads in the head por- Although it is notessential to my invention in its broadest aspects to provide the flangey13 with frusto-conical end faces vjoin ing the shank and threadportions by fillets, nevertheless I prefer to construct the centralsupporting rod member in this manner for the reason that manufacturingthereof by the drop forging process is rendered easier as sharp cornersare avoided. Also end faces constructed in this manner serve to centerand to provide good seating for the adjacent refractory cylinder `11 andthe stopper head 12. y

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised a stopperrod construction in which the weight of the refractory materialsurrounding the shank portion of the supporting rod is sustained by aflange on the rod, thereby relieving the stopperv head of any loadexcept that due to its own weight. It will also be seen that thedetachable connection between the stopper head 12 andu the threaded rodtip 14 is arranged between the ends of the stopper head 12 in an axialdirection, thereby permitting of the ready removal or replacement of thehead 12 without in any way disturbing the refractory cylinders 11.

lVhile I have shown my invention in but one form, itl will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various other changes and modifications without departing from thespirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are. imposed by theprior art or as arespecifically set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l.' A stopper rod construction comprising a rod member havinga'supporting collar integral with and near to the lower end thereof anda threaded portion below the collar, refractory sleeve means surroundingthe rod member and supported by the collar, and a stopper head made ofrefractory material and having integral internal threads provided in anaxial recess and fitting the threaded portion of said rod.

2. A stopper rod construction comprising a rod member having a collarnear to its lower end and a.l coarse-pitched, roundthreaded lowerterminal portion below the collar, refractory sleeve means surroundingthe rod member and supported by the collar, and a stopper head made ofrefractory material and havin integral internal coarse-pitched roundetthreads fitting the threads of said terminal portions.V

3. A stopper rod construction comprising a rod member having an integralcollar near to "its ,lower end and connecting means carried by the rodmember below the collar` refractory sleeve means surrounding the rodmember and 'supported by the collar` and a stopper member made ofrefractory material and having integral internal connecting means forcooperation with the first connecting means to sec-ure the stoppermember to the rod member.

4. A stopper rod comprising a rod member having a shank, a threaded tip,a circumferential fiange between the shank and the threaded tip andhavingI an upwardly extending substantially frusto-conical face, aplurality of refractory sleeves surrounding the shank. the lower face ofthe lower-V most sleeve fitting the upper face of the flange, and astopper member having a central threaded portion fitting the threadedtip and a counters'unk portion surrounding the flange.

A stopper rod comprising a rod member haring an upper shank, a lowerthreaded tip, a flange between the shank and the tip provided withupwardly and downwardly extending lsubstantially frusto-eonical facesextending from the periphery of the flange to the shank and to thethreaded tip respectively, a plurality of refractory sleeves surroundingthe shank, the lower face of the lowermost sleeve fitting the upperfrustoconical face, and a stopper member having a central threadedportion fitting the threaded tip, a counter-sunk portion surrounding theshoulder and having a lower face fitting against the lowerfrusto-conical face.

6. A stopper rod comprising a central supporting rod member having ashank, a shoulder, and a threaded tip portion ybelow the shoulder, aplurality of refractory sleeves surrounding Athe shank and supported bythe shoulder, a stopper rod having a threaded connection with respect tothe tip portion and a countersunk portion fitting around the shoulder,and packing material arranged between the shank and the refractorysleeves and between the adjacent ends of the lowermost sleeve and thestopper member.

7. A rod member for a stopper rod having a refractory covering and astopper member comprising a shank, a threaded tip portion, acircumferential fiange between the shank and the tip portion, thelateral faces of said fiange being substantially frustoconical anddiverging inwardly towards the axis ofthe rod member.

S. An article of manufacture consisting of a drop-forged rod memberhaving a shank, a threaded end portion, and a circumferential fiangebetween the shank and the threaded end portion and having end faceswhich are substantially frusto-eonieal and which define llets joiningthe shank and the threaded portion.

In testimony whereof' I hereunto afiix my signature this 14th day ofJune 1923.

SAMUEL S. BALL.

